Sunday worship podcast and other news: Jan 30 Candlemas

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast     Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today - Jan 30 Candlemas 10 am   Holy Communion: Preacher: Kevin Bright 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday                     10 am Good Book Club Bible study in the Church hall.                                           5- 5.30 pm Children's Choir in the church hall                                           7.15- 8.15 Choir Friday            10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sunday Feb 6 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm  Evensong Candlemas: the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple Luke 2.22-40 Kevin will be preaching for us this week, on the feast of Candlemas (or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, which is its official title, but a bit of a mouthful!) This feast marks the end of the Christmas and Epiphanytide seasons, so if you have kept your crib or any other Christmas decorations up, as we have, now is the moment to take them down. Candlemas is officially Feb 2, so you have a few days grace! The Gospel story for the day is Luke's account of Jesus being brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph at 40 days old, in accordance with the Jewish law which said that a sacrifice should be made of a lamb or two pigeons, if that was all you could afford . Mary and Joseph bring pigeons, which is one of the ways we know they weren't well off.  We may think of places of worship as quiet and tranquil, but the Temple wouldn't have been like that at all. It would have been crowded and busy, with people coming and going, debating and arguing, and, of course, there would have been the noise - and the smell - of all those animal sacrifices.  In the midst of all that hubbub, Simeon and Anna, two elderly people who spent a lot of time in the Temple, spot Jesus and acclaim him as the longed-for Messiah, the "light for revelation to the Gentiles". What do they see in him? How do they know? How open are our eyes to God's presence in our daily lives? (Image: The Presentation of Christ, by Alvaro Pirez c.1430  from the Met Museum)   ALL AGE IDEA  Simeon and Anna see the baby Jesus, but they don't just see a baby; they see someone who will grow up to be really important - God's Messiah or chosen one.  What do you hope you might do when you are grown up? What potential do you have to grow in love and service to others? These are questions we can ask ourselves at any age!   Find some pictures of yourself at different ages, or think about the younger "you". What has changed and what has stayed the same?  Today's Gospel story.  STORY OF THE WEEK     1 Samuel 16.1-13   In today's Gospel reading, Simeon and Anna, prompted by the Holy Spirit, spot God at work in an ordinary baby born to poor parents. In this week's story of the week, which we will be looking at at Good Book Club (Wed at 10 in the church hall), the prophet Samuel is called to pick out the person God has chosen as king to succeed Saul. Again, it is not obvious who he should choose. What do we look for when we are thinking about who we should follow?  CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS We urgently need a new church Treasurer. Can you help? We are planning to buy in some bookkeeping services, but will still need someone to do some of the day to day financial tasks.  More details from the vicar. REFRESHMENTS - There will be no tea and coffee after the 10 am services during January, to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid.  MASKS Although it is no longer compulsory to wear face coverings in church, we continue to encourage people to do so, in order to protect themselves and others.  ANN SIMPSON R.I.P.  I am sorry to say that Ann Simpson has died. She lived in Lavender Fields and many will remember as one of our regular "Lavender Ladies" who came along to services before the pandemic, and often joined in our Zoom Church during it. Ann's funeral will be here at Seal Church, a place she came to love, on Thursday Feb 10 at 2pm, and her family have said that anyone who knew her would be very welcome to attend. We will all be holding Ann, her husband John and her daughters Nicky and Becky in our prayers.  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS At our Zoom meeting earlier this week, we talked, among other things, about plans for H.M. the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. There are lots of exciting plans afoot for the long weekend (June 2-5) including a party on the Rec on Sunday 5th June, exhibitions, walks, Garden safarl and lots of ideas for making the village look festive in the run up to the event. If you have more ideas, or are willing to help put the ideas we have into operation, please let Marion know (marionjgilchrist@gmail.com). We would especially welcome input from younger members of the village community - by which we mean under 50s! - so please do get involved.  HAVE YOU TAKEN PART IN THE RSPB BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH? It is this weekend, so why not sit by a window (or even go out into a garden or park, wrapped up well!) and see what birds you can spot. It's a great, meditative exercise. More details here  OTHER COMMUNITY NEWS - For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ or email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com to ask to be put on her mailing list. For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/

Would you like us to pray for you? Email your prayer requests to: sealchurchprayer@gmail.com Your email will be read by Anne Le Bas and Kevin Bright, the Vicar and Reader of Seal Church who will hold you in their prayers. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.

Sunday Worship podcast and other news: Jan 23

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. I am taking time off at the moment, and won't be available until Wednesday 26th, so it is just a basic newsletter this week -  but you can find the usual worship podcast by clicking on the picture above, or at the link below.  Revd Adie McCall will be leading the 10 am Communion service in church, and Kevin Bright will take the 6.30 service of Evensong.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast       Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today - Jan 23 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday 10am Zoom Church (email for the link)                       5- 5.30 pm Children's Choir in the church hall                       7.15 -8.15pm  Choir                                 Friday              9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church                             10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sunday Jan 30 Candlemas 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm  Evensong

Worship podcast link and other news: Jan 16

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. Click on the picture above, or the link below to access the podcast. with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast     Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061

In the church building today - Jan 16 10 am   Holy Communion: Preacher , Jess Heeb 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday                      5- 5.30 pm Children's Choir in the church hall                                           7.15- 8.15 Choir Thursday       8pm PCC meeting on Zoom Friday            10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sunday Jan 23 10 am   Holy Communion: celebrant and preacher Revd Adie McCall 6.30pm  Evensong Epiphany 2 John 2.1-11 Today's Gospel story is the popular tale of the wedding at Cana, which Jess Heeb will be exploring in the sermon. Transforming water into wine sounds like it would always be a vote winner - and a huge help to a family facing social disgrace when the wine starts to run out - but what is the deeper meaning of this story?. (Image: Wedding at Cana by Andrea Boscoli  1560-1606)  ALL AGE IDEA  The Bible story today tells of a time when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding party. It's a story which reminds us that God wants us to enjoy life and find lots of good things in it to share.  This week, how about making a "joy" jar, or making a "joy" board - whenever you see or hear something that brings you joy, write or draw it on a slip of paper and put it in the jar or on the board. At the end of the week, see how many causes for joy you have found.

Today's Gospel story.

STORY OF THE WEEK     Psalm 65 This Psalm, often read at harvest time, praises God for his generous provision. It's often easy to see what we lack, but harder to see what we have! What do you have in abundance, which you could share with others?

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS We urgently need a new church Treasurer. Can you help? More details from the vicar. REFRESHMENTS - There will be no tea and coffee after the 10 am services during January, to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid.  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS At our Zoom meeting earlier this week, we talked, among other things, about plans for H.M. the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. There are lots of exciting plans afoot for the long weekend (June 2-5) including a party on the Rec on Sunday 5th June, exhibitions, walks, Garden safarl and lots of ideas for making the village look festive in the run up to the event. If you have more ideas, or are willing to help put the ideas we have into operation, please let Marion know (marionjgilchrist@gmail.com). We would especially welcome input from younger members of the village community - by which we mean under 50s! - so please do get involved.  OTHER COMMUNITY NEWS - For more details of the Jubilee plans and other community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ or email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com to ask to be put on her mailing list.

Worship podcast and other news from Seal Church: Jan 9

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast       Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today - Jan 9 10 am   All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion During the week Wednesday 10am Zoom Church (email for the link)                       5- 5.30 pm Children's Choir in the church hall                                         (To be confirmed - please check on the day)            Friday              9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church                             10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sunday Jan 16 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm  Evensong Baptism of Christ / Plough Sunday Today is the feast of the Baptism of Christ, but also Plough Sunday, the day before Plough Monday when agricultural labourers traditionally went back to work after the Christmas break. It was a day when ploughs were blessed, and prayers said for daily work and the coming year. Today's sermon explores the link between these two feasts.  ALL AGE IDEA  Plough Sunday was a day for praying for the crops that would grow in the fields in the coming year. You could sow some cress seeds - I will be giving some out in church today, and will leave spare packets in the children's chapel in church if you'd like to pick some up. You can sow the seed in compost, or on damp kitchen towel, put it in a warm place, and keep it watered, until the shoots are tall enough to cut and eat. Alternatively, you could go for a walk and try to find things that are already starting to grow - spring bulbs pushing through the ground, or winter flowering shrubs. Find something that symbolises your daily life during the week - something that reminds you of school or work or whatever you do from Monday to Friday. That's the equivalent of the ploughs that were traditionally blessed on Plough Sunday - ask God to bless it as a reminder that he is with you in what you do day by day.  STORY OF THE WEEK     Matthew 2.13-32   The Gospel reading for today ends with the story of the Magi returning home "by another way". But Matthew’s story of the birth of Christ doesn’t end there. Read the rest of the story and think about how it changes your impression of the childhood of Jesus. What resonances does this story have for us today, in a world where many are refugees as  the Holy Family are. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS We urgently need a new church Treasurer. Can you help? More details from the vicar. CHOIR PRACTICE - There will be no adult choir practices until Jan 19 at the earliest. We anticipate that CHILDREN's CHOIR will begin again on Jan 12, but please check to make sure it is on if you are planning on coming. We will be watching the Covid statistics closely, and making a judgement based on how safe it feels to do these activities. REFRESHMENTS - There will be no tea and coffee after the 10 am services during January, to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid.  COMMUNITY NEWS - For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ or email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com to ask to be put on her mailing list. Know Your Neighbours Zoom meeting - Thursday Jan 13 at 8pm. KYN will be holding a meeting on Zoom this Thursday to talk about various community initiatives, including what plans we might like to make to celebrate HM the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June. The more people's ideas we have the better, so do join in. Email Marionjgilchrist@gmail.com for the Zoom link. If you don't do Zoom, but want to be involved, please let Marion know any ideas you have.  For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/

Sunday worship podcast and other news: Jan 2 2022

 

Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast       Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building today - Jan 2 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong (Said) During the week Friday              9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church                             10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sunday Jan 9 10 am   All Age Worship 6.30pm  Breathing Space Holy Communion Epiphany Sunday  Today we mark the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem, via Jerusalem, where they had unwittingly informed Herod of the possibility that a new king had been born. It is not just the Gospels which paint a picture of Herod as a paranoid megalomaniac. History tells us that he had several of his own wives and children killed, and was always suspicious of those around him, so it was a dangerous business being part of his court, or his family. Today's sermon asks the question of who we "pay homage" to, and what the effect of our choice of allegiances might be.   ALL AGE IDEA Make a crown. Who should you listen to when they tell you what to do? Who shouldn't you listen to? Do you sometimes try to boss others around? Play "Simon Says". Everyone has to do what the leader says - put their hands on their heads, jump up and down etc.. but only if they say "Simon Says" first, otherwise those who do the action are out.  STORY OF THE WEEK     Matthew 2.13-32   The Gospel reading for today ends with the story of the Magi returning home "by another way". But Matthew’s story of the birth of Christ doesn’t end there. Read the rest of the story and think about how it changes your impression of the childhood of Jesus. What resonances does this story have for us today, in a world where many are refugees as  the Holy Family are. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS We urgently need a new church Treasurer. Can you help? More details from the vicar.   Thank you to all who helped make our Christmas services and events such a success, under difficult circumstances. CHOIR PRACTICE - There will be no adult choir practices until Jan 19 at the earliest. We anticipate that CHILDREN's CHOIR will begin again on Jan 12, but please check to make sure it is on if you are planning on coming. We will be watching the Covid statistics closely, and making a judgement based on how safe it feels to do these activities. REFRESHMENTS - There will be no tea and coffee after the 10 am services during January, to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid.  COMMUNITY NEWS - For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ or email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com to ask to be put on her mailing list. ADVENT WINDOWS Many thanks to Barbara Martin, for organising the Advent windows and to all who contributed by displaying such lovely scenes in your windows.  CHRISTMAS TREE It was very moving to see so many stars hanging from the village Christmas tree outside the kebab shop, so we feel it is something worth repeating. However, I'm sure most of you will have noticed how the weather has taken its toll on our messages. We are looking at ways to repeat this with more durable (but still affordable) options. If you have any ideas, please email me at marionjgilchrist@gmail.com In our last update, the Winter Mini Challenge from Kent Libraries was mentioned. This is still going on until January 16th. Children can sign up for free online, to earn digital rewards and download a certificate. They just have to have read 3 books between December 1st and January 16th. Find out more at bit.ly/WinterMiniChallenge2021. What better way to spend some of these dull days before heading back to school and in the evenings when you get home! SEAL PARISH COUNCIL WILDFLOWER PROJECT Following on from our wildflower talk from the Kent Wildlife Trust's WILD ABOUT GARDENS team, are running a series of zoom sessions this winter on WILDLIFE FRIENDLY GARDEN, This is a great way of encouraging wildflowers and pollinators to your garden, This, is combination with our wildflower verges project, will also help create joined up 'pathways' for bees, butterflies and other key pollinators in our parish. Details of the events can be seen on the Parish Council website, but the zoom sessions cost £5 a session, and are as follows:- Thursday 13th January - 7.30-9pm Nature Friendly Gardening for Beginners. Wednesday January 26th 10,30am- midday - Managing pests and diseases in a Nature Friendly Way Saturday Feb 5th 3pm-5pm - Building and Maintaining a Wildlife Pond Monday March 7th 7.30-9pm - Wilder Lawns Sat March 26th 11-12.30 - Using weeds and wildflowers in a garden to attract bees, butterflies and moths. Deniz's coffee shop still has some copies of our Seal Historical Guided Walk books for just £5 a copy. All proceeds go to the Seal Village Fund. A perfect time to walk around our beautiful village and see it through new eyes! HELP NEEDED PLEASE! We have the Village Hall booked out on Saturday January 8th, to collect and pack away the Christmas lights, from the High Street areas, and the communal areas which have been decorated. If you can spare an hour or two on Saturday January8th, any time between 9.30 and midday, we would be very grateful for your assistance please. If you helped put the lights up, and feel you could take down the same ones, that would be great, as you will know where the fixings are etc. However, any new helpers will be made very welcome. As I have been pointing out along the way, quite a few of our lights have had to be replaced this year, and a lot will have seen their last working year by January 8th. So, as we always anticipated, this is a constant  'work in progress' situation, but, fortunately, our trusty 100 Club, manages to fund the majority of all replacements, and having expanded a little further up the High Street this year, we will hopefully stretch a little further next year.If you don't already take part in this monthly draw, and would like to find out more, please contact me and I will send you details. I would also like to thank those of you that have contributed donations throughout the year (one even on Christmas morning). This all helps tremendously, when so many have to be replaced . Thank you all for your support with this project.  IMPORTANT ZOOM MEETING Finally, we will be holding a KYN Zoom meeting at 8pm on Thursday 6th January. The main purpose of this meeting, is to discuss the choice of species for our commemorative tree for outside the dentist on the Main Road. This will be up for discussion at the next Parish Council meeting on January 14th, so it would be sensible to have a good overview of as many as possible before this date.There will also be maintenance issues to discuss - how to keep it watered and fed, etc, and that is something we wish to get in place before the tree is planted.  Secondly, we want to look at options for the biggest royal celebration ever! Never have we had a monarch reign so long, and we want to make sure that we involve as many of our community as possible in the celebrations next June.We want to ensure that however we decide to  celebrate, it is the choice of many and not just a few, so please get involved in these discussions! IF YOU HAVE STRONG VIEWS AS TO HOW WE CELEBRATE THE JUBILEE IN JUNE, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION! Then, if there is time, there will be the opportunity to chat about potential new groups for our village. Please let me know if you would be interested in joining these discussions, and I will ensure you receive your Zoom invitation.  For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/

Would you like us to pray for you? Email your prayer requests to: sealchurchprayer@gmail.com Your email will be read by Anne Le Bas and Kevin Bright, the Vicar and Reader of Seal Church who will hold you in their prayers. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.